Emily Schrader is an an Israeli-American freelance writer with a background in political campaigns. She lives in Tel Aviv and works in Israel Education.
Some days I don’t know why I do what I do.
We hold ourselves to such high standards it’s literally exhausting. Was that airstrike just? Did that terrorist have a weapon? Did the soldier really need to fire? Was there police brutality? Was tear gas necessary? Were civilians given proper warning with the phone calls and leaflets? Did we release enough prisoners? Civilians died – should we have called off that airstrike on a Hamas weapons facility? Are we fanning the flames in controversial areas by ensuring our own security? Are we enforcing the law equally enough despite the fact we regularly demolish Jewish settlements? Are we explaining the truth enough when we know their claims are false or incomplete? Are we protecting religious freedoms of Palestinians enough with our buses to Al Aqsa and medical visits from West Bank and Gaza? Are we respecting human rights enough in our prisons with their education etc.? Are WE are WE are WE.
What about THEM? Who is holding the Palestinians accountable for their hate-mongering and corruption and sexism and violations of basic freedoms? Not the press, or the EU, or the UN, or the USA, or any other international body. Not their people. Not Israel. Why do they get a pass on everything? Why is it ok for Palestinians to go back on their word but not Israel? Why is it ok for Palestinians to steal aid money? Why is it ok for Palestinians to oppress women and gays? Why is it ok for Palestinians to target civilians? Why is it ok for Palestinians to literally fake stories to smear Israel but we’re smeared for telling the truth? Why does no one think twice that Israel is the center of the world’s attention? Does anyone else realize how insane this is?!
I have to look over my shoulder walking down the street to work because I’m scared of getting stabbed by a Palestinian, yet I spend the majority of my time worrying if we did the best we could to protect Palestinian human rights! I’m tired!
Palestinian terrorists have attempted literally hundreds of terror attacks in the last month and this week the EU responds by labeling Jewish products from settlements. Who does this help?! I’ll tell you who, Palestinian elites who beat and oppress their own dissidents – who deny factual documented history, who encourage 12-year-olds to stab Jews, who promote myths and conspiracy theories designed to brainwashed the next generation into becoming another in this disgusting cycle of backwardness and hopelessness, who behave like mafia warlords and refuse to take responsibility for any shortcomings and blame all problems on Israel and the United States.
I want to ask why, I want to say why are the double standards so blatant at the cost of both parties, but I think in my heart, I know why – and it can really be summed up in one word with which Europe and the rest of the world has had a long history of problems: Jew.
?מה לעשות – What can we do?
If it is us or them, it is going to be them.
Those who have mercy on the merciless will end up being merciless to the merciful.